Aerospace & Defense News - Space

AirGuide Business, April 28, 2008

Apr 28, 2008

The Canaveral Port Authority submitted a feasibility report for the widening of the Canaveral Harbor and other navigation improvements to Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) John Paul Woodley Jr. This report, the result of more than two years of work, is authorized by Congress under Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) as an avenue for expediting the project. Upon review and approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project is sent to Congress for funding in the next WRDA legislation, then funding under appropriation legislation. The project will consist of widening and deepening the entrance and access channels, enlarging and deepening the West Turning Basin, and providing additional navigation aids to the harbor. The estimated construction cost for this project is $41 million, which will be shared by the Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The manmade Canaveral harbor channel, dedicated in 1953, currently is 400 feet wide and three-and-a-half miles long with depths from 44 feet at the entrance to 35 feet in the West Turning Basin. The last major navigation improvements performed by the Corps were completed in 1995. The proposed project will widen the channel to 500 feet as well as increase the size of the West Turning Basin. "The board already has invested $2.5 million in Port Authority funds in this federal project because of the crucial timeline we face for expanding the harbor and, thus, the opportunities for new business," said Joe Matheny, chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. For more information, visit www.portcanaveral.org Apr 23, 2008

ExtremeGB.com

ExtremeGB.com has introduced its Spot GPS personal location tracker as global security issues form an increasingly important part of traveller safety. Spot allows the user to send back a signal through a satellite system to monitoring teams or potential rescuers for those in hostile areas. The device uses the 9-1-1 International Emergency Response Centres operated by global satellite monitoring, tracking and safety organisation, Geos. Features of the system allow unlimited emergency calls, a check-in facility to update contacts of trip progress and up to 200 annual text messages to any mobile. Upgrade possibilities include allowing contacts to track travellers using Google maps, while added rescue facilities can feature helicopter extraction around the world and reimbursement benefits. Spot costs [pounds sterling]139.50 ($277) with discounts for larger orders. There is a subscription charge dependent on use. Apr 22, 2008

NASA

Mars rovers keep plugging away four years beyond life expectancy. Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity continue to make geological discoveries four years past their expected life of just 90 days. The project employs about 200 scientists and technicians and costs $1.5 million per month. Apr 24, 2008

NASA

Problems with Russia's Soyuz spacecraft have raised questions about the ability of the U.S. to get to the International Space Station when the space shuttle retires in 2010. There is nothing to replace the Soyuz -- which landed off-course in a ballistic re-entry Saturday -- if officials decide it is unreliable. NASA and the Russian Space agency are investigating the cause of the re-entry failure. Apr 22, 2008

NASA

Famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has been thinking a lot about the cosmic question, "Are we alone?" The answer is probably not, he says. If there is life elsewhere in the universe, Hawking asks why haven't we stumbled onto some alien broadcasts in space, maybe something like "alien quiz shows?" Hawking's comments were part of a lecture at George Washington University on Monday in honor of NASA's 50th anniversary. He theorized that there are possible answers to whether there is extraterrestrial life. One option is that there likely isn't life elsewhere. Or maybe there is intelligent life elsewhere, but when it gets smart enough to send signals into space, it also is smart enough to make destructive nuclear weapons. So should you worry about aliens? Alien abduction claims come from "weirdos" and are unlikely. However, because alien life might not have DNA like us, Hawking warned: "Watch out if you would meet an alien. You could be infected with a disease with which you have no resistance." The 66-year-old British cosmologist, who suffers from ALS and must speak through a mechanical device, believes "if the human race is to continue for another million years, we will have to boldly go where no one has gone before." Hawking compared people who don't want to spend money on human space exploration to those who opposed the journey of Christopher Columbus in 1492. "The discovery of the New World made a profound difference to the old. Just think we wouldn't have had a Big Mac or KFC." Apr 21, 2008

NASA

NASA said it will extend the mission of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft for two years. The spacecraft will continue orbiting Saturn and beaming images back to earth. "The spacecraft is performing exceptionally well and the team is highly motivated, so we're excited at the prospect of another two years," said Bob Mitchell, Cassini program manager. Apr 21, 2008